Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-10-02
NEW YORK LETTER.
RsMAaKABLE CHARACTERS SEEN AT
HorIIs OF A GREAT METROPOLIS.
Eeirs Of Kiiiionsires-T theatrical Gossip
Abuses in sew York BOspitsls-
Hard on the Poor Politics.
Correspondence Of the Richmond Dispatch

tan types of the genus man can be
foupd IN the world than stamp the cor.
ridors OF the New York hotels. Anob-
serving man can lose himself IN laby-
ninth OF mysterious cogitations in ten
minutes, j. he tries 20 guess the idcnti.
ty and purposes of even 10 per cent. OF
the men who regularly frequent the
popular portions of the big New York
hotels. There is vast difference DO.
tween the man who is constantly seen
about the corridors and the man who
hives regularly and domestically at the
hotel. The latter comes uptown from
business, hurri,s 10 his room, and is in
visible about the house again until
breakfast the next morning, except in
very rare instances. OF course there
are hotel hermits, but these men are
exceptions AS a rule the regular guests
are strangers TO the Office and the pub
lie part of the house.
The hotel hermit is distinct crca-
tiOn. have one in view now. He has
lived for sixteen years at one of the
most prominent OF the Broadway ho-
tells, and in that time II is doubtful IL
he has been away from the house more
than ten consecutive hours. He is
heavy -jswed. red-faccd creature, with
sluggish eyes, pondcrous belly, and
lazy movements, lie rises about 10
O'Clock, spends half an hour over his
boots. another half hour with the bar
Der, and then talks to the hall boys,
telegraph clerks, bar-tenders, and other
employees of the house who will take
Al IL. . a.. q
he poses for half hour on particular
flagstone, with his shoulders against
certain portion OF the portico. Ifanybody
happens to he standing in that place
be waits patiently uniilhe has a chance
to take up his iavorite position. He
has a particular chair by a certain win
dow in the diDing-room, and here he
breakfasts slowly Tor an hour or more.
After that he resumes his position IN
the front OF the house or if it is rain
ing takes up a certain fixed space on
particular bench in the corridor. His
life is the acme of monotony he natu-
rally has few friends. for he never ven
lures out in the world and his life and
talk are tiresome to contemplate and
hear. IT is impossible even to get HIM
TO attend the theatre. He undoubtedly
does precisely as he wishes to do, and
the whole world is willing that he
should devote himself to his fascinating
pursuit of hotel immOlatiOn.
STRANGE MEN.
The men who continually challenge
conjecture are the well dressed. gentle
nly-oppearing and polished men Of
the word who have their mail addressed
to the principal hostelries, who make
all Their appointments there, and who
occasionally dine IN the hotel restau-
rants. but who never actually live in the
house No man knows where they do
hive, either for their goings and
cOmings are as mysterious as the much
discussed chances OF good Yachting
breeze the day before a race. Some OF
these men of the world are projectors
of railroads, others own more or less !
pretentious patent rights, and some are |
Adventures pure and simple who trade |
upCn the lesser intelligence of their /
fellows. Not inhequentiy the great /
wheel of fortune throws one or the |
other to the top and the schemrr aud /
manipulation vi yesterday is the million
aire of to-day. The majority of the .
men are by no means to be confounded |
with swiudlers and cheats. They are |
men Of large mental culture, sturdy |
fighters against i'll foitune and stanch |
and tue friends TO those who have be- |
friended them. They realize fully /
what the whlrigig Of New York life is.
and they stand 10y with no capital but
their brains and wait for their chance
to clutch a fortune. Occasionally they
ale victims to their own faith in
the schemes they father. | know
Of one man who brought an
electric motor from England,
and sank over $50, 600 of his own money
in it. He built machiue-shopa and put
the motor in it, hired liyeried attend
ants, and ran the whole thing on plan
of exalted expense and impressiyeness
He lived in a capital suit of rooms in
the Hoffman House, entertained gorge
ously, and succeeded in interesting a
great many men of sound financial
standing in his project. In the end,
however, it all fell to the ground, de-
spite the most expert manipulation,
and all because there was a screw loose
in the machine and the man who was
promoting ii was too honest to do any
dirty work. he is a pauper now, and
the invention has been sold for junk
but he is as blithe and cultured an orna-
ment of the New York hotel corridors
as though he had established his scheme
on 100000 basis and "realized A"
on controlling portion Of the stock.
THE HEIRS or MILLIoNAIREs.
When Jay Gould stepped lightly out
OF his office in the Western Union
building yesterday afternoon there was
a smile on his face such as had rarely
ever keen seen there before he became
grandfather TO the heir of his son
Georges fortune. The recent appear
ance of that youngstcr gave hope to
the founder OF the Gould dynasty that
his millions would descend in direct
line down, at least TO the third genera
ton, from whence the line OF inherl-
lance moy Yet be carried along through
generations yet unborn. 1t used al
wsys 10 be said in old times, when mil
lionaires were so few as to number, but
three or four in the whole United
States, the great fortunes in this cOun-
try were pretty sure to be dlssipated by
the sons OF the men who gathered them,
and that there was no chance of the
growth OF hereditary wealth under the
leyelling influences Of democracy. But
we can now see in New York inherited
fortunes, not few in number, that have
been firmly held through three or four
generations, and bid fair to continue
far beyond the heirs now on the stage.
The foundation of the biggest fortune
in America was laid three quarters of
century ago by Cornelius Vanderbilt,
who was even then the captain of a
petty feet; and the millions of the
Commodore descended to his son Will
ham H., in whose hands they doubled,
and by him they were bequeathed to
William X. and his other children,
several Of whom have now posterity
who are reasonably sure OF inheriting
il in due time. The foundation Of the
gigantic fortune Of the Astor family
lat least 800, 000, 000) was in this city
hundred years ago by John Jacob As
tor, who transmitted II 10 his heir Viii
liam b., who bequeathed il TO his heir,
John j.. who some years ago turned
over the keeping Of it TO his heir, Will
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